Mask



Nov. 19, I935. 4 M. M. EINSON MASK Filed June 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT 0R.

" ATT RNEYS.

M. EINSON 2,021,593

MASK

Nov. 19, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1953 MASKS A Greatlde JasezzTHE MASQUERADER! Here's a sensatiunal new tie up for your exploitation of the MASQ, UERADER" a paper mask of Ronald Colman. 7

It will not. only advertise the may, but will be a congtant, rcmmder of your theatre 1 n the fa: Indy-Have your ushers glve them away as souvenirs.

g I I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MASK Morris M. Einson, Yonkers, N. Y., assignor to Einson-Freeman 00., Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application June 15, 1933, Serial No. 675,937

7 Claims.

a carnival, or for special occasions, like Thanksgiving masquerades, are concave forms of papiermach or colored fabric which require a special molding to adapt it to the shape of the human face, making the manufacture of such masks complicated and expensive, and prevents the manufacture of such article at a price low enough to give them away as premiums with merchandise, or for advertising purposes.

One of the objects of the present invention therefore is to provide a non-expensive and easily manufactured form of a face mask.

Another object of the invention is to provide a face mask of the kind herein described which requires no molding or pressing into special form, being made of a fiat thin cardboard or other flexible material on which the represented character of the mask is simply printed on by a lithographic or other printing process.

Another object is to devise means whereby the mask, although made of a single fiat sheet, is adapted to be Worn close to the face, respectively the cheeks, and still provide clearance for the nose.

Another object is to devise a face mask, which, although made of a fiat sheet, provides peepholes for the eyes, lying close'against the latter.

Another object of the present invention is that masks of this character are intended to represent among other subjects also portraits of well known personages, either living or historical, and because a peephole for the eye instead of the pupil might destroy or mar the artistic effect of the eye and expression, is to camouflage such peepholes in such cases so as not to interfere with the total impression of the represented image.

A further object, similar to the one just mentioned, refers to the clearance openings provided for the nose. The means, utilized for providing such clearance, should also be adapted to cover and disguise the nose of the wearer.

A further object which can only be realized by the present invention and is impossible to attain by stiff-moulded masks, is to provide a mask form which can bear different pictorial representations on both sides, arrange-d so that the eyes and the nose portions are in corresponding positions, the only condition being that the outlines of both pictures are identical which is easy to comply with in the case of personal resemblances.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device of the character herein described which is adapted, and is used, for advertising purposes.

Another object is to provide inexpensive and simple means to securely and unobtrusively fas- 5 ten the mask to the head of the wearer.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- 1 Fig. 1 illustrates the appearance of a portrait mask, embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a similar mask, showing certain modifications of an optional character.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of 15 Fig. 1, but showing the cardboard mask, as it is bent over the face just before fastening the earbands. The nose-flaps, provided for clearing the nose of the wearer (not shown) are represented as they are extruded by the latter; 20

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the face mask shown in Fig. 2,1ooking down from the top edge;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the mask with advertising thereon.

The forms disclosed by these illustrations and 5 exemplifying the present inventive effect, are to be understood from an illustrative rather than a restrictive standpoint, as they are capable of a great variety of other mechanical, as well as pietorial expressions; not only human persons, real 0 or imaginary, but also animal heads, can be represented and depicted in this manner, and the scope of the invention therefore should be judged rather from the way it is defined and indicated in the appended claims. 35

It has been mentioned before that among other suitable subjects it is proposed, for advertising and kindred purposes, to choose as possible subjects for representation, the portraits of living or historical persons, well known characters of mo- 40.

tion pictures, radio and athletic fields, also popular figures from the comic strips in the newspapers (see Fig. 2) or finally any figure which fancy may dictate, or to advertise plays, products, articles, or for any other advertising pur- 45 poses.

Referring more in detail to the illustrations, the numeral [0 in Fig. 1 or H in Fig. 2 represent pictures, plain black and white or colored, of a face or head, printed upon thin and pliable card- 50 board, and trimmed around the periphery of the head. At two opposite places, however, at the edges of the ears or near them, the out-out face has on each side an integral extension in the form of a short flap l2 for Fig. 1 and 13 for Fig.

2 which is folded backwardly, after inserting short annular rubber bands l4 and I of the common variety, cut from tubes or elastic into the folded edges as indicated by dotted lines Ma and 5 I511 in both figures. The flap is then fastened to the back by glue or in any suitable manner. The mask is worn by slipping the rubber bands behind the ears.

As it would be awkward to wear a fiat sheet of paper over the face, cut-outs and slits are provided to accommodate the nose as well as the eyes. The portion occupied by the nose or at least the middle part, the bridge of the nose in its total length is partly cut out, in such way, however, that it still coheres with the mask at the root, beween the eyebrows, and forms a sort of flap to be pushed outward by the nosebridge of the wearer. (See IS in Figs. 1 and 3, and I! in Figs. 2 and 4 respectively.) In combination therewith can be provided two short horizontal cuts I8, extending laterally from the nostrils, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and giving the nose more clearance. This, however, is not indispensable, as Figs. 2 and 4 show. There must also be provided two peepholes for placed where the pupils are supposed to be, as for instance at 20, Fig. 2.

If the mask wearer however wants to impersonate a well recognized character, as indicated above, and as large apertures in the eyes would interfere greatly with the recognizability, a much better plan is to leave the eyes as they are in the portrait and place the peepholes in a less conspicuous and shaded part of the picture. I found the shaded part under the lower lid or in some cases the eye-brows to be the best adapted place for them, as indicated by 2! in Fig. 1.

Another way of making these peepholes less conspicuous is to cut out slightly more than the lens portion inside the iris of the eye and cover them on the inside with transparent material, like cellophane foil for instanceinot especially illustrated). As such foil is always glossy, it enhances the natural appearance of the eye.

It is also within the scope of the present invention, to use both sides of the flat cardboard mask for different pictorial representations, but having the same periphery and the same relative position of eyes and nose. This is an advantage which cannot be attained by the usual forms of masks.

When the mask is fastened to the face, it will be curved in a cylindrical plane as indicated by 5 Figs. 3 and 4, while the nose and the nostrils bulge out the slotted portions.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the rear of the mask provided with advertising matter; such advertising matter may be on both front and rear of the mask.

In accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statute, I have described my invention, but I desire it to be understood, as before pointed F the eyes, which ordinarily may be conveniently out, that the invention is not limited to the mechanical or pictorial forms illustrated but can be carried out in different other ways and for various purposes, masquerades, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving processions, lodge and initiation 5 festivals, and also for special advertising purposes. For the latter purpose the flat backside of the mask can be covered by printing matter and even the front is adapted to be utilized for this purpose. 10

The flaps l2 may be dispensed with and other means for fastening the bands l4 and I5 may be employed, such as eyelets, stitching or other suitable means.

Having now described my invention, what I 15 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A flat pictorial face mask provided with apertures for the eyes, a partly separated flap, integrally connected with the mask at the nose root and flanked by two substantially vertical 20 cuts, for the nose portion, and a horizontal slit on either side of the nostrils to provide in combination with the slits of said flaps bulging-out portions for the flanks of the nose.

2. A fiat pictorial face mask with peepholes for 25 the wearer, provided in an inconspicuous shaded part, substantially adjacent to the lids of the otherwise unperforated eye representations of the face mask.

3. A fiat mask bearing the facsimile of a face 30 with unperforated eyes and shaded pictorial representations of upper and lower lids, with peepholes for the wearer, provided in the shaded portion, substantially under and adjacent to the lower lid.

4. A flat pictorial face mask with apertures for the eyes and'a plurality of slits, substantially arranged in the form of an inverted T, to provide room for the nose of the wearer, said slits comprising a substantially horizontal cross cut 40 above and adjacent to the upper lip and two substantially vertical slits, starting upwardly from said cross cut to cut out a nose flap between them.

5. A flat face mask, bearing the facsimile of a 45 face, having unperforated eyes and being provided with upper and lower lids and eye apertures in the vicinity of the unperforated eyes.

6. A flat face mask, bearing the facsimile of a face, having unperforated eyes and being pro- 50 vided with upper and lower lids and eye apertures in the vicinity of the unperforated eyes, and having elastic means adapted to hold the mask to the face of the wearer.

'7. A flat face mask, bearing the facsimile of a face, having unperforated eyes and being provided with upper and lower lids and eye apertures below, but substantially adjacent, the lower eyelids, flaps on each side of the mask and annular rubber bands retained by the flaps, said rub- 6O ber bands being adapted to hold the mask to the face of the wearer.

MORRIS M. EINSON. 

